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 The European Commission has set a target of inoculating 70% of the
EU's adult population by the end of this summer, banking on a big
increase in vaccine deliveries to accelerate its vaccination drive.
"We are confident that we will be able to deliver enough doses but
it is true also that it is up to member states to organise
themselves to be ready for that," European Internal Market
Commissioner Thierry Breton told an Irish parliamentary committee.
"Today I can tell you that I understand we have at least 12 member
states who say they are fully comfortable this 70% figure. This
number is increasing on a daily basis."
He did not identify the 12 member states or say which countries were
less comfortable with the 70% figure.
An announcement last week that EU countries will receive 50 million
more vaccines produced by Pfizer and BioNTech this quarter has given
the executive additional comfort on its delivery targets, Breton
said.
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 It has also provided "room for
manoeuvre" to cope with Breton's expectation
that the bloc will initially have fewer Johnson
& Johnson shots than hoped.
He said he was also confident AstraZeneca will
be able to deliver its reduced second quarter
target of 70 million vaccines.
Breton, who expressed hope recently that Europe
will have a summer tourist season this year,
said the vaccine target was important to provide
"light at the end of the tunnel" before the
holiday season.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin, editing by Timothy
Heritage)
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